Workshop Overview
Note: the 2002 workshop is over. Find out more about the "Early Career Geoscience Faculty" workshops (including a link to next year's), or read on for more information about the 2002 workshop.

Participants must have a faculty position at a 2-year or 4-year college or at a university and be in their first four years of full-time teaching. These workshops are supported by an Undergraduate Faculty Enhancement grant from the National Science Foundation (and thus are FREE except for travel to and from Williamsburg). (Opinions expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NSF.)

During the workshop, each participant will:

  • Learn about a variety of active learning strategies, different ways to integrate research into geoscience courses, and various grading and assessment techniques.
  • Share ideas and strategies for teaching entry-level courses as well as upper-level courses.
  • Consider successful strategies for advising/supervising undergraduate and graduate research students.
  • Discuss life as an early-career faculty member and explore various ways to balance teaching, research, and service responsibilities.
  • Leave with examples of syllabi, assignments, and activities for various courses, strategies for balancing competing demands, and a support network of other early career faculty.

Dates

The workshop will begin on Saturday evening, June 1, 2002 and will end after dinner on Wednesday evening, June 5. Participants must attend all sessions. The workshop will have an optional (and strongly recommended) field trip to the National Science Foundation on Thursday, June 6.

Expectations

Within one year of the workshop, each participant will write a progress report and will submit either a short (one to two page) letter of advice for other early career faculty or an assignment or activity developed after the workshop to be posted on a Resource Website.

Eligibility

Participants in this workshop must hold a teaching position at a 2- or 4- year college or university and be in their first four years of full-time teaching at the time of application.

Cost

The workshop itself is FREE, thanks to a grant from the NSF Division of Undergraduate Education. The grant covers the operational costs of the workshop plus room, board, and workshop materials for the participants. Participants or their home institution must provide transportation to and from the workshop. Limited funds are available to provide some support for participants whose institutions have limited resources for faculty development support. (We have a few stipends (generally up to $200 each) available for participants with limited financial resources. If you wish to apply for one of these stipends, please include a request for such support with your application and provide a budget of anticipated expenses and other support sources.)

Application and Selection Criteria

The workshop size is limited. The final list of participants will be established with the goal of assembling a group representing a wide range of experiences and educational environments. Application materials must be received by Friday, March 8, 2002 Your application should include your name, address, phone number, email address, number of years of part-time teaching (including this year), number of years of full-time teaching (including this year) as well as a short c.v., a short statement indicating why you want to attend the workshop and what you hope to gain from attending. Please send this to Heather Macdonald via email (rhmacd@wm.edu) by March 8, 2002.

Facilities

The workshop will be held at the College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA. Participants will be housed in dorms on campus and will eat meals on campus.

Early Career Workshop Project leaders:
Heather Macdonald, College of William and Mary
Barbara Tewksbury, Hamilton College
Richelle Allen-King, Washington State University
Randall Richardson, University of Arizona
David Mogk, Montana State University
Steven Semken, Dine College

For More Information

Please contact Heather Macdonald at rhmacd@wm.edu or 1-757-221-2443